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contacting me first. Thank you.
 SAVVY
SELLING - OCTOBER
19, 2007
Out
of the Corner and On to Your
Team
by Michelle Nichols
EXECUTIVE
OVERVIEW:
Direct sales is a tough gig
for someone with no experience.
What should you do when your
boss plants a "Dunce"
on your sales team?
Last week after I finished
speaking at a sales conference,
a salesman pulled me aside and
whispered: "What should
I do? The president of my company
just assigned his girlfriend
to work on my sales team. She
doesn't have any sales experience—and
doesn't care." I call this
situation "the Dunce Bomb"
because if you handle it incorrectly,
you could blow up your relationships
with your accounts.
Here are some ideas on how
to deal with a Dunce on your
selling team. Remember, a Dunce
can be male or female, romantically
involved with a co-worker or
not. My strategies apply for
any Dunce you may have to deal
with.
1. Have a frank talk with your
boss about expectations. Ask
what role he or she envisions
for the Dunce. Perhaps you can
get the Dunce assigned to one
of those projects everyone always
says would be a good idea but
no one ever has time for, like
cold calling a new territory,
or trailblazing a new product
line.
Alternatively, maybe you can
sell your boss on reassigning
the Dunce to another department,
where the Dunce's performance
is not so easily measured. Remind
your boss that direct sales
is a tough assignment for someone
who isn't properly trained.
2. Keep an eye on your sales
numbers. Remember the expression,
"This too shall pass,"
and when the Dunce is no longer
working on your team, it's important
that your numbers be on track.
Your boss may not offer much
sympathy if your numbers are
down when he or she is nursing
a broken heart from the Dunce's
departure.
3. Don't waste your time repeating
information to the Dunce. I
learned this from watching the
salesman take a call from the
Dunce in front of me. He spoke
to the Dunce as if she were
a child, repeating simple words
and commands. The Dunce still
didn't get what the salesman
was saying. If the Dunce doesn't
understand what you say, force
yourself to drop it and get
back to selling.
4. Do not turn over or share
your key accounts with the Dunce.
I mention this because the salesman
who complained to me told me
that he had done just that.
The salesman thought he was
doing the boss or the Dunce
a favor, but I bet the salesman
will regret that move because
the Dunce could easily damage
them. You worked hard to win
your accounts and build relationships
with the key buyers; don't risk
your investment. Try to get
the Dunce assigned to a separate
set of customers, so the Dunce's
performance is easy for all
to measure.
5. Look for the opportunity.
Get to know the Dunce to learn
about his experience and plans.
Who knows? Perhaps the Dunce
has a deep knowledge of a business
that could help you. Or maybe
the Dunce has a gift for making
people feel welcome, a great
memory, or great connections
within the local community.
If you can, leverage the Dunce's
experience and make him useful,
instead of a potential waste
of time and a threat to your
sales. Just don't spend too
much of your time or energy
on what may be a temporary assignment
for the Dunce.
6. Force yourself to overlook
any pay or favor inequities.
Since the Dunce is your boss's
current favorite, don't be surprised
if the Dunce's pay plan is juicier
than your compensation plan.
The Dunce may also get to come
in later, leave earlier, take
longer lunches, and receive
other perks.
Console yourself that you are
building your career; the Dunce
is just milking a personal relationship.
These scenarios have a way of
working themselves out over
time.
If you find a Dunce has replaced
one of your key customers with
another, the same basic rules
apply—keep your eye on
the business, look for the opportunities,
and keep selling. Perhaps you
could take them both out to
a meal, which would give you
access to your customer too.
A career in selling is like
getting a PhD in human psychology.
Don't get distracted by the
drama of having a Dunce on the
scene. Instead, keep your focus
on your customers. Happy selling!
Michelle Nichols is a
professional sales speaker and
consultant based in Reno, Nevada.
She is also the Savvy
Selling podcast host for
BusinessWeek. She welcomes your
questions and comments. You
can visit her web site at www.savvyselling.com
or contact her at michelle.nichols@savvyselling.com.
Her toll-free number is (877)
352-9684 and direct line is
(775) 303-8201.
Copyright
2007. All rights reserved.
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